How to track student payments in a tutoring business

A simple monthly routine and a reminder template so you always know who has paid, and how to automate the dull parts without losing control.

Tracking fees shouldn’t take your weekend

The fifth of the month arrives and the ritual begins. You open the spreadsheet, open your banking app, compare the two, remember that someone paid in cash, find a parent who paid two months at once, and end up typing messages by hand. With 30 pupils it is tedious; with 100 it is a second job.

This guide gives you a simple routine for knowing who has paid each month, and explains how ClaseAlDía automates the part that eats the most time.

The monthly routine in six steps

  1. Set one rule for collecting fees. A deadline (say the 1st to the 5th of each month), one or two ways to pay (bank transfer, standing order, cash) and payment in advance rather than in arrears. The fewer the exceptions, the less work.
  2. Generate the month’s fees on the 1st. One line per pupil with the amount due, sibling discounts already applied.
  3. Record each payment the day it arrives. Mark it paid, with the date and method. Never “I’ll note it later”: that is where nearly every mismatch begins.
  4. Review what’s outstanding on the deadline. A short list of who is missing, grouped by family rather than by child, so nobody gets chased twice.
  5. Remind once, politely. A short message with the description, the amount and how to pay. If it is still unpaid a week later, send a second reminder. After that, pick up the phone.
  6. Close the month. Export the fee list, file it and, if you have an accountant or bookkeeper, send it on.

Reminder template: “Hello, just a reminder that November’s tuition for [pupil], £45, is still outstanding. You can pay by bank transfer. If you have already paid, please ignore this message and accept our apologies. Thank you!”

Common mistakes when tracking fees

  • Mixing up payments and invoicing. Knowing who has paid and issuing an invoice are two separate jobs. Track the first daily and leave the second to your accounting software.
  • Not separating the monthly fee from extras. Registration fees, materials and trips should be recorded apart, so the monthly fee always adds up.
  • Chasing pupil by pupil. If a family has three children, send one message listing three fees, not three messages.
  • Leaving no trail. If someone asks for proof of payment, you need to be able to produce it on the spot.

How ClaseAlDía automates it

Everything above that is mechanical, the app does:

  • Monthly fees generated for you. When the month starts, every active pupil with a fee gets a line, without you typing anything.
  • Status at a glance. One screen summarising the month: how many fees are paid, how many are outstanding and how much money is still due.
  • Mark as paid in one tap, with the date and method. If it was a mistake, you set it back to unpaid.
  • Reminders grouped by family. Choose the day of the month they go out and each family receives a single email listing what is outstanding, never several on the same day.
  • Payment receipt. Each fee marked as paid produces a printable receipt with a number, description, amount and date, which the family can also download from their page.
  • Export to Excel. The fee list as a CSV ready to open in Excel, for your accountant or your own records.

Tutors who teach at your centre see none of this: fees are for the owner only.

The receipt is not an invoice

ClaseAlDía does not issue invoices — keep using your accounting tool. The receipt shows that a payment was received but has no standing as an invoice. If your business needs to invoice, carry on doing that in your own software or through your accountant. What the app saves you is the groundwork: knowing whom to invoice and which fees remain unpaid.

What if I’m paid in cash or by bank transfer?

The method doesn’t matter. ClaseAlDía records payments; it does not process them. You mark the fee as paid when the money reaches you, whichever method you use. What counts is that the record is made straight away and kept in one place.

Common questions

Can a family pay from within the app?

No. ClaseAlDía tracks payments but doesn’t process them: the family pays you as usual and you mark it.

Can I add charges other than the monthly fee?

Yes, you can add extra charges to a pupil, such as registration or materials, with a description and an amount.

What does the family see?

On their private page they see the last year of fees, which are paid and which are outstanding, and they can open the receipt for any paid fee.

Does it work in pounds and euros?

Yes. UK centres work in pounds sterling and Irish centres in euros.

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